The Retry
by RememberDeathAndAllHisFriends
Summary: Florence Cairn, better known to her friends as Renny, is an average high school girl . . . Until she survives three bullets to the heart.
1. Chapter 1

Three flashes. All in a row.

Flash one.

Flash two.

Flash three.

My eyes were closed, but I could still see the spots of light through my eyelids. I was dazed and disoriented, aching and confused. Three more flashes and three clicks to follow.

Flash four.

Flash five.

Flash six.

_Click! Click! Click!_

On the third, my eyes snapped open. Cameramen were standing over me, but when I looked up at them, they froze. They stood on the Ave., frightened and scared. Someone pushed through the crowd; the police captain, Captain Conwell. He watched as I lifted my head from the concrete sidewalk. There were no questions of idiocy, asking if I was okay. Only four words were uttered by the Captain. "You should be dead . . ."

Sheer confusion spread across my face. Why should I be dead when I felt so alive?

"Florence, you should be-"

I cut him off. "I should be what?" I whispered, sitting up quickly. Pain ripped through my chest, and I let out a howl of pain. My hands were at my chest instantly, touching a sticky, warm wetness. I could now smell the iron. I was bleeding . . . from right beneath my heart. As if on cue, my vision started to swirl. Captain Conwell was yelling something about an ambulance, but I had no strength to make out the words. I was dying.

I should have been dead.

Voices were yelling around me. It was as if nobody knew what to do. It was so simple, though. Get an ambulance. Get to the hospital. Don't let the broken girl die on the streets. It's common sense, people.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

My head lolled to the side just as the ambulance doors opened. Thank God. The pain would soon be over; through survival or death, I didn't know. I was lifted onto a stretcher, but the paramedics weren't all that careful. It felt like needles were racing through every ounce of my being, like all of Hell was coming loose and attacking me. But I didn't die. I felt all of the pain and saw the blood that should have proved I was dead. But I wasn't.

Into the ambulance I went. I was hooked up to an oxygen tank, not like I needed it; my breathing was only a little labored. Then a paramedic pressured my chest. I cried out, writhing on the stretcher. I wanted to scream at the paramedic to stop, to lighten the pressure at least, but I was in too much pain to try and form the words. The most I could do was scream and hope someone got the memo. I was making it obvious, wasn't I?

What landed me in this situation? A snippet of memory flashed briefly.

_Katie was laughing her tinkling, soft laugh. It was super girly, why was she laughing?_

I was brought back to reality with hands pinning me to the stretcher. They were trying to restrain me; to keep me from moving. I could hear the paramedics telling me to stay awake. Their voices were urgent, persuasive, but it wasn't enough. The memories flashed again.

_Katie was still laughing, but fit the giggles was already starting to recede by now. I, on the other hand, had been moping about an insanely cute guy in school who had just started dating the captain of the dance team. She thought it was funny how I was bringing it back up. Again._

"Stay awake kid!" the paramedic called, forcing my eyes to snap open.

I looked at him with a pleading expression. "But I can't . . ." I whispered. "I just want to go back to Katie. I just want to dream."

"Please, kid!" he demanded just as his partner put more pressure on the open wound on my chest. With that final wave of pain, I let myself slip back into my memories, back into today's events.

_"There's no point. He's got his eyes set on Ms. Glossy-Lips. Besides, he's way out of our league, Renny," Katie explained. Renny. My nickname. Katie had given it to me when we were little. Summers ago. The name had stuck, though._

_"I know. I know," I muttered reluctantly, rolling my eyes. "But what if there was any chance at all-"_

_She cut me off. "There's no way. We're too . . . average."_

_"You're not. I am," I corrected. Katie was perfect. She had everyone chasing after her. She had sleek dirty-blonde hair and vibrant hazel eyes. She was literally acne free and was set at a good height. To top that, she was track and field games extraordinaire. The perfect dream of any high school boy. I, on the other hand, had mousy brown hair and pale blue-grey eyes, with rounded, freckle-speckled cheeks. There was nothing dazzling about that. I was short, too. Problems in school were nonexistent, especially in english. The only sport I could play was competitive swimming. That was it. Just average. "You've got half the football team after you, Kates. You're far from ordinary"_

_She rolled her eyes. "Unlikely. I doubt-" Katie stopped in mid sentence. We both heard something. It sounded like gunshots. Three rang out._

_Shot one._

_Shot two._

_Shot three._

_Without thinking, I ran in the direction of the sounds. I turned onto the Ave. and stopped dead in my tracks. A lone gunman stood in the center of the street. A once busy tourist attraction became a ghost town. The only people who were there were me, the gunman, and a businessman, kneeling at point blank. I stepped forward without thinking, and called out, "Hey! Leave him alone!"_

_The gunman turned towards me, the barrel of his gun following his eyes. "Don't come any closer or I'll kill ya' both!" I knew he was serious. His wild, crazed eyes and the fact that I could see his expression from behind the black ski mask he wore made it more conclusive. I was on thin ice and I had to be careful. Very careful. One wrong move could cost me my head._

_"I don't plan to. Just . . . let's talk this through," I called, raising my hands in mock surrender. "Just put the gun away."_

_I didn't think it'd work, but the guy slowly lowered his gun. I started to walk forward, saying, "Good. Now calm down and tell me what's wrong, okay?" So far so good. He didn't raise his gun again. The businessman on the ground quickly ran away, not caring what happened. Jerk. I swallowed and stepped closer. There was a gap of about ten feet between me and the gunman now. I was dangerously close, but I had to act as though I wanted to help, like I meant no harm. And I didn't. I was at the disadvantage. I had to be on my guard._

_"Stop right there," the gunman commanded. "Give me your bag, and we can both be on our way. You don't want to get blood on your pretty dress there, do you?"_

_Three things about this guy were clear to me. One, he was a lunatic. Two, he was a thief. Three, he was a creep. "No," I said simply. Katie started calling my name frantically and he scowled. He darted towards me, pulling at my bag. I aimed to kick him where it counts, but before I could, three shots were fired._

_Shot one._

_Shot two._

_Shot three._

_I collapsed to the ground. I heard the slapping of the soles gunman's shoes on the pavement and Katie's shrill scream of terror. Three shots were fired, and all three entered straight through my heart._

A white room and a sterile smell. So familiar yet unfamiliar. I slitted my eyelids, trying to get a look of my surrounding. A whole bunch of medical equipment surrounded me. A hospital. That had to mean I was alive and not somewhere, six feet under.

My body was numb. The doctors probably had me racked up on painkillers. I lifted my rubberlike arm and hit the nurse button. Within a minute, a preppy nurse was at my bedside, trying to make sure I was comfortable. "How are you feeling dear? Your medication has probably made you numb, but we had to give you so much. You were on the brink of dying, but the doctor saved you, he did . . ." I let the nurse keep babbling and lay back my head into the pillows. It seemed like an hour had gone by when she finally shut up.

"H-how long was I out?" I asked, softly.

"A little over a month," the nurse replied casually, as if it were some everyday thing. I swallowed. A month was a long time to be out cold; a long time without family and friends. A long time out of my school year. A long time away from the swimming pool, and I was gaining the extra pounds. "The scary thing is that you were dead one second and alive the next. Nobody had even tried to revive you." I looked at the nurse as if she was crazy. She had to be. There was no way I could die and come back to life with no help. It was impossible.

"Where are my parents and Katie?"

"Outside. They were by your bed everyday, oh yes. Very good friends and family you have there. You even had a few young gentlemen come in and leave you flowers. They're right there. Have a look deary."

I turned my head towards the window, seeing three or four vases of flowers. Blue and pink forget-me-nots in perfect bloom; my favorite. I smiled vaguely and looked over at the nurse. "Can you send my parents and Katie in?"

"You sure you're up for it, dear?" she asked. I nodded and lay my head back again. The nurse walked out and a few minutes later, in came my parents and Katie. The looks on their faces were priceless; full smiles spread across their lips. My mom came to me first. I reached out to hug her, ignoring the slight pain I felt in my chest.

"Hey Mom," I whispered. My eyes stung and I let a few tears roll down my cheeks. When I pulled away from her, my mom had a few streaks to match. Like mother, like daughter. My dad put a hand on my shoulder after my mom stepped back.

"How're you feeling, kiddo?" he asked. He didn't wait for an answer. He pulled me into a tight hug. "We missed you . . ."

Katie came to me next. "Renny, promise me something?" I nodded at her words. "Never do something that stupid ever again." I started to laugh and cry at the same time. It felt so good. After all the pain I felt . . . After all of the unconsciousness, I was finally sure that I was awake. I was finally sure that I was alive. But one thing had to be answered. What happened to me. There was only one person who could answer my question . . .

And that was Katie.

She was there when I got shot. She was probably the one to call the police and ambulance, too. She had to know. She just had to. I looked at her with a questioning glance, hoping she knew what I was getting at, hoping she knew what I wanted her to. After a few hours of catching up with my parents and Katie on anything that I might have missed, I said, "Mom, Dad? Why don't you guys go get some food and sleep. You look exhausted. I'll be fine, okay?" I encouraged.

"You sure, Florence?" Mom asked.

I nodded. "Positive. Katie can keep me company for a bit." Katie looked as though she might protest, but she paused as soon as I shot her a secretive glance. My parents nodded in agreement and left the room without further protest. I sat up and crossed my arms. "What happened to me, Kates?"

"What do you mean? You got shot and survived. . ." she whispered.

"No. I'm supposed to be dead. What happened?" I asked.

"You were shot . . ." she started. "The guy who shot you ran with your purse. I got one look at you before I called the ambulance. He got you badly, and I didn't know what to do to help. They told me to put pressure on your chest, so I did. I did this until the police and the ambulance showed up. By the time the they got there and tried to do anything to help, you were already gone.

"I was devastated and so were your parents. When they found out, that is. Well, the two officers who were there brought me to the station to try and calm me down. After I was somewhat calm, they started to question me. They asked me what we were doing on the Ave. They asked me what I saw. They asked me if I knew the guy, if I knew what he looked like. I answered them all honestly. We were shopping and heard some gunshots. You ran towards the sound. I saw the guy shoot you. I didn't know who he was or what exactly he looked like because he wore a mask.

"They were halfway through questioning when they got the call, the call confirming you were alive. They were baffled and confused, unsure if the paramedics made some crazy mistake. They knew you were dying, though. You were rushed to the hospital and the officers drove me there. I met your parents in the ER waiting room. We weren't sure if you were going to make it. The doctors had told us you were shot straight through the heart. It was impossible for you to be alive. We were so confused and happy at the same time. But one question hasn't been answered yet. How are you alive?"

I looked at Katie, baffled. "How am I supposed to know when I'm asking you the question myself, Kates? I've been unconscious for a month."

"Something crazy is going on, Renny, and you know it. No matter how glad I am for you to be alive, it's just _not_ possible."

I sat in silence. Being shot straight through the heart, dying, then coming back to life just doesn't happen. It's doesn't really seem possible, but I had done it. What the hell was going on? Why was I still here, alive?


	2. Chapter 2

I was eager to get back to school as soon as possible. Even though the doctors said it wasn't smart to be in school for the last two months of my junior year, I didn't listen. There were just a few things I had to get done: get back in shape, pick back up where I left on girls swim team, and prove to everyone that I was stronger than they thought. I wouldn't miss the last weeks of school for an injury that had kept me asleep for a month already. My mom drove me to school, fearful I'd have a heart attack or something. She was worried for my well being, that was for sure. I knew I'd be fine, though. The car stopped outside of the school, and I turned to my mom. I hugged her briefly and got out of the car.

I walked out into the fresh morning air. Teenagers milled around the school front, not ready to walk into the building just yet. No one seemed to have noticed me, which was the way I wanted it to be. I slowly made my way to the doors of the school, keeping my eyes on the ground. There weren't many people I wanted to see today. The only person who actually knew I'd be here was Katie, and I made her swear not to tell anyone. It seemed as though she hadn't. One person had to recognize me, though.

Colt Gideon, a boy in nearly every one of my classes.

I heard his voice before I actually saw him. It was a soft, singsong voice; a voice that made any girl melt. He called my name.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

I turned and looked back at him and let a small smile escape from my lips. Colt's wavy, black hair hung in his eyes. With one hand in the pocket of his skinny jeans, he walked towards me. He grinned and closed me into a tight hug. I yelped quietly, pain shooting through my left side. Registering the sound I had made, Colt stepped back quickly, muttering an apology.

"Uh. . . Hey. . ." he muttered.

"Hey. . . Surprised?" I queried.

Colt nodded. "I'm glad you're back. . . It was really lonely when you were gone," he started. "The guys and I came up once or twice. I hope that's not weird."

I laughed and shook my head. "It's fine. This whole situation is just strange-"

"What situation?" he asked instantly.

"Nobody even gave me a sideways glance before the accident. After, I'm getting flowers and people are talking to me. . . I guess I'm one big drama story."

Colt shook his head and looked as if he was trying to find the right words. "No. That's not it-" The school bell rang. A ten minute warning before class started. I turned waved goodbye to Colt and darted towards the main doors. I heard him shout a quick _seeyah_ before I was out of earshot. Into the building I went, in search for my locker.

I rounded a few corners into the Junior hallway. Before I could see the digits that were carved into a piece of metal on the red door of my locker, I saw tons of decorations. As I got closer, I was able to see that most everything read "Get Well Soon" or "I Miss You". The typical charade people tried to pull when a kid they knew got sick. They tried to make is seem as if they cared. The only people who did were the ones who still talked to you once the popularity died down. I doubted many would in my case.

I made my trip to my locker brief. The fear of people crowding me was in my thoughts. I didn't want to have to relapse the whole ordeal a thousand times. I just wanted to get through the day without having a mental breakdown. My first hour class was human anatomy. No one really seemed to notice me as I made my way to the second floor classroom. I heard a few people whisper my name, and that was it. When I walked into the classroom, I was greeted by the pudgy teacher, Mr. Bitroski. He was a dark haired, short, Polish man. He taught very well, though.

"Welcome back, Florence," he greeted jovially. "We've changed seats. You are in the back of the room; back right corner." I nodded to Mr. Bitroski and walked to the back, setting my bag down on the lab table. I sat down and looked through my things. It felt like I had only been gone a weekend, when in reality, I had been gone a month. I would be so far behind in my studies, too. I sighed. My school life just got a whole lot harder.

Someone sat besides me. I turned to see Colt, a small smile on his lips as he flipped through a folder of papers. He pulled out a filled out worksheet and set it on the table. I took a look at it, not realizing that it was completely foreign to me. Colt looked over at me and laughed. "You didn't miss much," he explained. "We've really just have been going over the skeletal system for the two-hundred and sixth time."

"Again? Is he going over six bones a day?" I ask, calculating the average in my head.

"Mr. Bitroski never gets bored of it." He shrugged. "I guess he just wishes he was taller."

I laughed, a half smile spreading across my lips. "Funny. All he needs is a few feet." I rested my chin in my hands and looked over at Colt. "You guys have been learning the functions since before I left. You'd think he'd finish up with it and let us get on with our lives."

Colt chuckled and muttered, "You'd think he'd let us get into something more interesting."

"Like what?"

"Oh, you know. Stuff about the brain or something. Something . . . interesting."

I shrugged. "The brain is a whole world of confusion we don't need to get into." I heard the bell and my attention was directed towards Mr. Bitroski, who was mumbling his simple, 'Good morning class . . . It would have been a better morning if some students would have shown up on time.' The last part of the comment was directed towards the latecomers that always entered the class when he was saying his greetings. I saw him look in my direction. He then stated, "I would like to welcome back Ms. Cairn. She has been on leave for the last month, as you all know." I stifled a groan of irritation. The news would be going around soon. I'd better be prepared for the bombardment of questions I would soon get.

I shook my head and rested it in my arms, trying to avoid their curious and judgemental stares. _The hour will be over soon. Just another 50 minutes to go . . ._ I thought to myself, knowing that time would only drag on longer and longer than it really seemed. I glanced up at Colt who was busying himself with comparing his homework with the key Mr. Bitroski had projected onto the front board. I slowly fell into step with everyone, taking the notes and asking questions. School was integrating itself back into the playlist I called my life.

The bell rang and Mr. Bitroski dismissed us. I walked down the back stairs that led to an almost deserted hallway. The hallway that led to the art department and basement. Not many kids took the old hallway. There were newer revisions of the school were more attractive to the likes of the students. I liked it better than the dim, yellowed hallway I was now walking in, but today, I just wanted silence. I closed my eyes for a moment as I walked down the hall. Something felt a little off, though. I got that feeling you really only ever read about or saw in movies; I got the feeling of being watched. This is the point when the audience is telling the character not to turn around. I was doing the stupid thing and doing so. As soon as I had around, I knew how bad of an idea it was.

I felt three punches land on my body.

Punch one.

Punch two.

Punch three.

I gave a suppressed moan of pain - whoever had hit me had a good right fist. I collapsed on the ground, my arms wrapped around my stomach. I looked up and saw the silhouette of a girl; the lights from above combined with my tear filled eyes made it hard to make out any of her features. She stood over me, hands on hips. I swallowed and attempted to sit up. She put her foot on the center of my chest and wagged her forefinger, chastising me. "Not yet, sweetheart," she said bitterly. "You can't get up yet."

My face flushed red with anger, and I shoved her off. I stood and came face to face with her only to get pushed back to the ground. I tried to sit up, and the girl kicked my side. I whimpered in pain, but this time I stayed down. This girl was all business and no play. She was being absolutely ruthless and brutal.

"Now listen here, sweetheart. Just because you're a survivor doesn't mean you're going to tell everyone what happened. You're not going to run your mouth. Are we clear? We don't need to stir up trouble in the town looking for this guy, do we?" she asked. I nodded. She kicked me roughly once more and laughed. "Good." She turned away, and then said, "Oh, and stay away from Colt. He's too good for you." She left moments after, leaving me on the ground in pain. I heard the bell ring, but I didn't care. I could barely breathe and didn't want to move. I was afraid to; I wasn't afraid that she would come back, no. I was afraid that I'd feel my ribs cracking the moment I put pressure on them. I swallowed and coughed heavily, trying to get a few breaths of air. It was a little labored, yes, but I managed.

I heard people talking down the hallway and around the corner. The voices were very familiar. I heard Colt and the girl. They were arguing. I could hear snippets of the argument from where I lay.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" Colt demanded.

"I was only thinking of you and dad! We both know in his situation that he's not going to last forever! We might as well make him what he wants to be sooner than later. " That was the girl.

"I know you won't. Wait . . . Dad? What does he have to do with this?"

"He was the one who . . ." She stopped.

"Who what, Cassy?"

Cassy. Colt's twin sister . . . I don't know how I didn't recognize her voice. She used to be one of my best friends. Maybe it was the fact that I was scared and confused. But she had mentioned her dad . . . What did he have to do with me talking about the incident. I strained my ears, trying to hear the rest of the conversation.

"He . . ." That was all I caught before Colt had an outburst.

"And you didn't tell anyone! Why?"

"He's our dad! What do you expect me to do?"  
"He doesn't even care about us! He only came back to get through with his plan." Colt stopped. When he continued, his voice was more sincere. "He doesn't care about us. He left when mom was pregnant with you."

"He left in search of a way to stay with us. He's found a way, but you expect me to abandon him when we're so close to having him back, don't you? He wants to be with us. I can tell, Colt. He wants to be with Mom and you and me forever."

"Yes, Cassy. I do expect that. He is doing this for his own selfish gain! Don't you get that? He's changed, Cassy." He stopped for a moment then asked, "What did you do to Florence?"  
I heard my name and grinned slightly, happy to hear that help might be coming soon. I relaxed slightly, although my grimace of pain was still on display. "She's over there . . . probably hurt . . ." Cassy said. I heard the slapping of gym shoes on the linoleum floor. Colt came into my line of sight and I closed my eyes briefly.

"Are you okay?" he ask, kneeling next to me. There went that stupid question. Of course I wasn't alright. Did the look of agony on my face say otherwise? "I take that as a no," he said when I gave him the _are you blind_ look. "Don't move. I'll be back with help in a few minutes."

"Be fast . . ." I muttered, look up at the ceiling. Colt bolted towards the nearest classroom, which happened to be the art room. He called for help, his voice strong and pleading. I hoped it would come faster. It just had to. Colt back back to where I was laying, bringing the art teacher with him. He knelt beside me as the teacher called an ambulance. I gave them both a simple nod, assuring them I was going to be fine. I wasn't sure, though. My world has changed so abruptly. From being the girl who had never broken a bone, I had become a punching bag. I kept getting hurt. My life was also becoming a huge drama story. I wish the tale would end, but I had the feeling it wouldn't until I was dead.

"Don't think that way . . ." Colt whispered.

"How do you know what I was thinking?" I asked.

"You were muttering out loud." I raised an eyebrow. I could have sworn those words were my thoughts. I don't remember ever talking about the topic either. I couldn't remember my lips moving. It was odd. I swallowed. From what I could tell, these last few weeks of school were going to be rough.

My mom didn't want me to go back to school after what had happened the day before, but I insisted. I had already missed too much, and I wanted back on the swim team. My classes were over quickly that afternoon, and I immediately headed to the locker room. My coach was Katie's mom, Danielle. Katie and I were both on the swim team. I was better than her at this sport, though. Water was my second skin, my alternate home. I could pull off almost any move. Coach Danielle was surprised to see me. She hadn't expected to see me until next year when she was sure I was fully recovered. I probably should have been staying home after what happened the day before, but I was anxious to be back on the team.

"You're here, Renny?" Danielle had adopted my nickname from her daughter; most of the team did. I didn't mind. Most of the girls had some nickname that they went by. "Did your doctors say it was alright for you to come back so soon? I mean, you did just get out of the hospital for the second time yesterday."

I nodded. "They said not to push myself too hard," I responded. "I think I can manage. Besides, I'm ready to be back."

"Well, get in the water and try a lap. If you feel fine, tell me."

I gave a brief nod and slipped on my swimsuit. After, I made my way out to the pool. Danielle followed behind me. As I got into the pool, she stood on the edge, checking to see if any pain had or was going to register on my face. I started my lap, feeling a faint tightness from where I was kicked in the ribs. After I got moving, it disappeared. My body didn't forget a single movement while it was immobile from my medically induced coma. I touched the wall of the opposite side of the pool from where I had started and got back before I even knew it. Danielle beamed at me, holding out a hand to pull me out of the water. I took it and pulled myself onto the edge of the pool.

"You sure you're feeling okay?" she asked.

"Of course I do. I've never felt better," I said.

I heard Katie's familiar voice as she called to her mother across the pool room. "Mom! Did you bring the schedule?" I looked at Katie as her mom handed her the schedule. She sat behind me, letting her legs dangle in the water. She looked over the list briefly, locating her name. "Great! I'm on it this time," she muttered before looking in my direction. "You're here Renny? This early? That's amazing!" Before I could give her any sort of response, she was in the water, starting a lap. I shook my head, laughing to myself. Katie never changed.

I took to the diving platform; the school didn't have a legitimate diving board. Diving was easy, and it felt amazing to feel the exhilaration of breaking the water's surface. I brought my toes to the edge of the platform and touched my fingers to the edge as well. I took three breaths, the third being than deepest.

Breath one.

Breath two.

Breath three.

I dove off the platform, eyes closed and let my fingertips break the surface. I was surrounded by water, my friend. It was cold this time, though. It was strange. I opened my eyes behind my goggles. In front of me was a woman, fully clothed. Her skin and lips were tinged blue. She looked . . . Dead. We were both surrounded by murky brown water. Where had the clear, chlorinated waters of the school pool gone? I reached my hand out and touched the face of the woman. Her skin was like rubber. Her eyes flashed open, the irises pure black. My heart jumped and I swam towards the surface, my lungs already burning from being underwater for so long. I could see a light from the surface. I forced my way towards it. My movements were becoming more and more labored. My eyes were becoming blurred. When I thought I could take it no longer, my head broke the surface. It wasn't the school's pool room I saw, though. I was facing the sandy beach of a body of water. On the shore stood a group of people. The people looked like pilgrims. There was something odd about the setting. The oceanside beach was familiar - it was the one near my home - but the time seemed different.

I felt a tug on my leg and was jerked back underwater before I could take in any more of the scene. The woman had pulled me under. I kicked at the hand that held me tight, but was only jerked down further. The woman pulled me so my ear was next to her lips. She whispered something into my ear and then let go of me. She sank down into the water, until she was hidden in the darkness. I swam to the surface as fast as I could. When my head broke the surface, I was back in the pool room, right where the shallows reached the deep end. I was shaken and scared. The impossible thing was what I had heard underwater. I shouldn't have been able to hear what the woman had said, but I did. One word came from her mouth.

_Eternal._


End file.
